NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has detected the rare element tellurium in the aftermath of two neutron stars merging about 1 billion light-years away. The stars were once part of a galaxy but were ejected after one exploded as a supernova. Despite this, they remained gravitationally bound and eventually merged.
This event, known as a kilonova, resulted in a gamma-ray burst (GRB) that was the second brightest since the search for these phenomena began 50 years ago. The JWST’s observations of the aftermath helped identify tellurium in the material surrounding the merger, providing further insight into the conditions under which precious chemical elements are created in the universe.
Key Takeaways:
- Astronomers have detected the element tellurium, rarer than platinum on Earth, in the aftermath of two dense stellar corpses about 1 billion light-years away using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.
- The neutron stars, which were once part of a galaxy, merged into one body after being expelled from their original galaxy and travelling a distance of about 120,000 light-years.
- The violent cosmic merger of these stars, known as a kilonova, resulted in a gamma-ray burst that was the second brightest recorded since scientists began searching for these phenomena 50 years ago.
“Astronomers using NASA’s powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) just spotted tellurium, an element rarer than platinum is on Earth, in the aftermath of two dense stellar corpses about 1 billion light-years away. The findings could help researchers better understand the conditions in which precious chemical elements are created in the universe.”
More details: here
Leave a Reply